Advocate 2022 logo

January 3, 2023

To submit news items, stories, or corrections, email the conference Communications Office at [email protected].
Events (1)

To view local church events, visit the Virginia Conference website at https://vaumc.org/events/. To submit an event for inclusion, submit this form.

Virginia News

bishop sue welcome

Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson offers New Year's welcome to VAUMC

Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson is the new episcopal leader as of January 1, 2023. View her welcome to the conference...
Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson headshot

Save the Date for Bishop Installation Service

Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson was assigned to the Virginia Conference at the 2022 Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference (SEJ) on November 4, 2022 at Lake Junaluska, NC. Bishop Haupert-Johnson was elected to the episcopacy at the 2016 SEJ and has been serving over the North Georgia Conference. She will begin on January 1, 2023 in the Virginia Conference.

Save the Date for an Installation Service for Bishop Haupert-Johnson on Saturday, February 11 at 10:30 a.m. at Woodlake UMC (15640 Hampton Park Dr, Chesterfield, VA 23832). More information will be forthcoming.

Find Bishop Haupert-Johnson's initial communication to the Virginia Conference as well as a recap of all the jurisdictional business sessions on the conference website.
nova 2023 training

Registration open for Northern Virginia Training Day

The Northern Virginia Training Day is Saturday, January 14 and will feature Kate Bowler and Tod Bolsinger as the keynote speakers. This virtual event is open to the entire Virginia Annual Conference. This year, the district is offering TEAM pricing with discounted team tickets for groups of 5 or 10. Team pricing ends soon! Learn more and register...
2022 wrapup

Get a recap on 2022 news

View a recap of news and ministries from 2022 with this video and podcast from Director of Communications Madeline White and Digital Media Specialist Hunter Bryn. Find on YouTube...
devotions with deacons

New deacon devotion launches

Need a spiritual boost? The VAUMC Connection podcast is launching a new podcast and the first episode is out NOW! Join the VAUMC Order of Deacons on Mondays of each week to center with a weekly 3-5 min. devotional including but not limited to lectionary scriptures, prayers, & positive messages! You can listen anywhere you can find podcasts or on the VAUMC Digital Hub.
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ERT completes work in Florida

All members of the Early Response Team (ERT) to Florida safely arrived home this weekend after two weeks of work in the Fort Charlotte area. The team and Serving Ministries are thankful for your prayers and support. Please visit the conference website to view the journey of the team. You are invited to pray and consider becoming part of an ERT! Contact the Rev. RJ Jun at [email protected] to learn more.
carl moravitz

Head of conference trustees passes away

Mr. Carl Moravitz died early the morning of Wednesday, December 28. He was currently serving as the head of the conference trustees. He also led the Conference Council on Finance and Administration for many years. Conference Treasurer David Dommisse said, “He was one of the kindest and most faithful persons I have ever known. He was always willing to serve the Annual Conference in whatever capacity he was asked, and did so faithfully even through tremendous grief and illness.”
Service and visitation services have already been held. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in Carl's memory be made to Emmanuel UMC in Laurel, Md, Fairfax UMC in Fairfax, or The American Cancer Society.
Condolences may be sent to the family by contacting the Emmanuel UMC church office at
[email protected] for address information. Please keep the Moravitz family in your prayers.
UMDay2023

UM Day is January 26

The Conference Legislative Network announced that UM Day at the General Assembly is happening on January 26, 2023 in Richmond.

You can register here. For over 30 years at this yearly event, faithful Virginia United Methodists from across the Commonwealth have gathered in Richmond in January to advocate for their neighbors. During this event, participants will visit with their Senators to discuss issues that are relevant to the United Methodist faith with direction from the conference partners at Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy.

If you are interested in putting your faith into action, register today. Learn more about the event and the schedule on the conference website. Registration is $25 for early registration and $10 for students. We can't wait to see you in Richmond!
Serving-Thumbnail+Facebook

Learn about opportunity to travel, be in mission abroad

Mission Volunteers are individuals or couples (ages 18 and up) who seek more extended partnerships with communities around the world and fund themselves. The length of service ranges from two months to more than two years. Mission Volunteer opportunities range from working with refugees, children, and youth to serving as a teacher, pastor, camp director, or health care professional.

VAUMC Partnerships of Hope encourages conference members to consider being trained and available for service worldwide. Are you in a stage of transition in your life? Graduating from school or entering retirement? Or are you in need of a sabbatical? Mission Volunteers training may be an excellent opportunity to discover a renewed joy in your life.

For VAUMC members attending the upcoming training, Partnerships of Hope will support a portion of the travel cost to participate in the training. For more information visit https://vaumc.org/missionvolunteer/ or contact Serving Ministries.
rmc logo

Bailey Scholars application is open at R-MC

Young people are searching for meaningful vocations as they make plans after high school. Do you know someone considering a call to Christian ministry? Whether it’s a call to preach, mission work, faith-based non-profit leadership, music ministry, youth ministry, chaplaincy... the Church needs young leaders who are prepared to guide us into the future.

Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, VA is the oldest continuously operating Methodist College in the U.S. and is committed to nurturing a new generation of church leaders. Our Bailey Scholars program awards a half-tuition scholarship for the first two years followed by a full tuition scholarship for a student’s final two years at R-MC. Bailey Scholars also benefit from two internships (one for academic credit and one for a $3,000 stipend) and a weekly meeting with other pre-ministerial students.

Please share this information with young people and youth ministers whom you know. Learn more at www.rmc.edu/academics/pre-ministerial. The application deadline for next year’s incoming class is March 1, 2023. Contact R-MC Chaplain and Pre-Ministerial Program Director the Rev. Kendra Grimes at [email protected] for more information.

General Church News

disaffiliation praying

Taking stock after a season of disaffiliations

UM NEWS-- The United Methodist Church is completing its first big wave of church exits under a church law that allows churches to leave with property if they meet certain conditions. More church withdrawals from the denomination are to come before the disaffiliation provision expires at the end of 2023. But amid these losses, church members see signs of hope including lay-led efforts to “Stay UMC.” Read more...
clothes ministry

Making the best use of church space

UM NEWS-- Mixed-use developments that replace or upgrade aging church properties might offer economic and spiritual answers for declining congregations. Unused space translates to an opportunity to do social good. Wesley Community Development, in North Carolina, specializes in helping churches making decisions about their property. Read more...
Book of Discipline

Church court: No new elections needed for GC2024

UM NEWS--The United Methodist Church’s Judicial Council concluded that no provision in church law allows for a General Conference to be canceled. The church court designated the coming legislative assembly scheduled for 2024 as the postponed 2020 General Conference. That means the same lay and clergy delegates can vote at what many United Methodists expect to be a momentous gathering. Read more...
HomeSupportUkraine

Ukraine a top priority for Global Ministries

UM NEWS-- The United Methodist Committee on Relief has approved more than $17 million so far to help the people of Ukraine cope with the invasion by Russia, and more aid is on the way, the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries announced during its fall meeting. Grants to help people affected by natural disasters and to bring better and profitable food production in Africa also were approved. Read story...
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Is The United Methodist Church really...?

UM NEWS--Ask The UMC, a ministry of United Methodist Communications, has received many questions from congregations wondering about the future of the denomination and whether they should consider disaffiliating from it. These have included recurrent questions that reflect misperceptions or misinformation that congregations are receiving as they discern their next steps. This is the first of a series of articles offering accurate responses to such misperceptions or misinformation. Learn more...
sparkler

One Last Word: A Prayer for a New Year

God of the ages, you have blessed us with another year.
Help us to make room for the blessings that are in store for us in the coming months.
May we be open to learn the right lessons, even if they hurt a little.
Help us to be patient so that we won't miss divine opportunities.
Show us how to be fulfilled without material possessions, so that we will not miss what it means to be a blessed people.
Enable us to be a blessing so you will recognize us as the ones who gave you bread when you were hungry, drink when you were thirsty, and clothes when you were naked. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

An adapted prayer by Rev. Kevin B. Smalls and shared by The United Methodist Church
Please send any issues or concerns to [email protected]. If you have issues with the formatting trying to forward (especially in Outlook), you can use the following link. More...
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